Life-saving suit



A. CHURY.

LIFE SAVINGSUIT.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.27, 1920.

Patented Dec. 21, 1920;

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

INVENTOR A'ITORN EY A. CHURY.

LIFE SAVING SUIT.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.27, 1920.

1,363,086. Patented De. 21,1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

INV ENTOR BY W .afiww my mom ANDY CHURY, OF I-IARBISBUBG, ILLINOIS.

LIFE-SAVING SUIT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 21, 1920.

Application filed August 27, 1920. Serial No. 406,365.

To all whom it may owner 11.:

Be it known that I, ANDY Gunny, a citi zen of the United S of America, residing at .Harrisburg, in the county of Saline and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Life-Saving Suits, of which the following is a specification.

One object of my present invention is the provision of an eliicient life saving suit having inflatable members whereby the floatahility of the suit is made sutlicient to support a person in the water, and this without subjecting the person to discomfort.

Another object is the provision of a life saving suit in which the inflatable members are connected with the suit proper in such manner that there is no liability of the connection being affected by the action of waves.

Another object is the provision of a life saving suit having simple and eflicient means whereby the wearer may actuate a strong audible signal and thereby attract attention.

To the attainment of the foregoing the invention consists in the improvement as here inafter described and definitely claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, hereby made a part hereof Figure 1 is a front elevation showing my novel life saving suit in use.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1 and showing my novel manner of connecting the inflatable members with the suit.

Fig. 4 is a detail vertical section.

Fig. 5 is a view showing in detail the connection of the whistle with the inflatable members, and the equipment whereby the wearer of the suit is enabled to control the whistle.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all of the views of the drawings.

Among other elements my improvement includes a suit 1 of rubber or other appropriate water proof material. The said suit is open at its front, and when placed on the body is designed to be lapped and laced at the front as indicated by 2. It is to be understood, however, that my invention is not restricted to the lacing of the front flaps of the suit inasmuch as the said flaps may be buckled or buttoned or otherwise fastened together, without involving departure from the scope of my invention as defined in my appended claim. The lower ends of the legs of the suit 1 are designed to be contracted about the limbs of the wearer, as indicated by 3, and the outer ends of the sleeves of the suit are designed to be contracted about the arms of the wearer as indicated by a so as to leave the hands of the wearer free for swimming or for any other purpose. In addition to the suit 1 my improvement includes two inflatable bags 5, and a reticulated reinforcement 6, Figs. 2 and 3, interposed between the body portion of the suit and the inflatable bags or members 5, and designed and adapted to connect the inflatable members 5 and the suit in such manner that there is no liability of the connection being affected by wave motion, and no liability of the inflatable members 5 moving to a material extent with respect to the suit 1. This will be appreciated as an important advantage when it is stated that with the inner portions of the inflatable members 5 securely fixed to the body of the suit 1 there is no liability of the inflatable members 5 swinging about, and rendering the apparatus uncomfortable to the wearer. On the other hand with the inflatable mem bers 5 relatively arranged as shown and attached in the manner described to the body of the suit 1, the wearer is enabled to rest in a reclining and comfortable posture in the water, and in such way that the face and head of the wearer is supported above the water.

For the inflation of the members 5 I provide a mouth piece 7 and a conduit 8 which is interposed between the mouth piece 7 and divergent arms 9 that lead to the interior of the members 5, and is equipped with a cutoff valve 10. The said conduit 8 is designed to be supported in the position shown so that the mouth piece 7 will be in convenient proximity to the mouth of the wearer, so that when the wearer of the suit is in the water and it is necessary to replenish the supply of air under pressure in the members 5, the same may be easily accomplished.

In order that the wearer of the suit may attract attention to himself while in the water I prefer to equip my improvement with a whistle 11, best shown in Fig. 5. The said whistle 11 is connected by a main con duit 12 and branch conduits 13 withthe members 5, and in the main conduit isarranged a valve 14:, normally retained in closed position by a spring 15 and having on its rockable stem 16 an arm 17. The

whistle 11 is arranged a considerable distance above the upper end of the suit so as not to be subjected to the action of water, the main conduit 12 being carried upwardly at the back of the wearer. It will also be noted that a cable 18 is connected to the arm 17 on the stem 16 of the valve so that by pulling on the said'cable 18 the wearer is enabled to open the valve 14 so as to permit the passage of air under pressure from the members 5 to the whistle 11 for the strong sounding of the latter. hen by reason of repeated soundings of the whistle 11 the pressure of air in the members 5 is materially reduced, the air supply in the members 5 may be replenished by the wearer applying his mouth to the mouth piece 7, opening the valve 10 and blowing air into the members 5.

It will be gathered from the foregoing that my novel life saving suit will adequately and comfortably support a person in the water while leaving the arms and legs of the person free so that he or she can swim toward an objective or may use the arms and legs for other purposes.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is

A water proof suit constructed and arranged to receive the body of a person and equipped with inflatable members, the said members being joined to the body portion of the suit through the medium of a reticulated reinforcement interposed between the suit body and the inflatable members, and the said inflatable members being connected with a mouth piece through the medium of a valved main conduit and divergent conduits, in combination with a whistle supported in rear of and extending above the suit and connected through a main conduit and divergent conduits with the inflatable members, a valve in said main conduit and having a stem adapted to be turned about its axis, a spring cooperating with said stem to yieldingly retain the valve in closed position, an arm on the stem, and a cable connected to the said arm and extending torwardly therefrom and adapted to be manipulated by the wearer of the suit.

In testimony whereofI aifix my signature ANDY CHURY. 

